Ultrasound of joints and soft tissues in rheumatoid arthritis

Sonography (US) is today regarded as a well-established imaging modality for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Update hardware and software with transducer frequencies of 10 MHz and more, highly sensitive Doppler imaging techniques, ultrasound contrast media, and imaging documentation with panoramic mode are available. Sonography has been shown to be useful for diagnosing early inflammatory changes in joints and soft tissues. The degree and the extent of local inflammation can be graded with B-mode and colour Doppler US. Indications, techniques of investigation and image interpretation are in line with standardised rules of diagnosis. However, US findings are not specific for RA and hence correlation with results from clinical, laboratory, and other imaging investigations is mandatory.